AVOID REPORTED LATES, COLLECTIONS, CHARGE OFFS
Late payments, charge-offs, and collections can seriously damage your credit, but you can prevent them by acting early. Always call your creditor before missing a payment. Ask for hardship plans, smaller payments, or loan modifications. Catch accounts before they charge off a closed and late account is better than a charge-off. Once an account hits collections, it’s much harder to fix, so communication is key.